Shower head construction



Nov. 18, 1958 H. E. WALLER 2,850,920

SHOWER HEAD CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 2. 1956 HarwicZZTWa/ZZer I. r z

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United States Patent SHOWER READ CONSTRUCTION Harold E. Waller,.Kewanee, iii.

Application October 2, 1956,.Serial No. 613,402

3 Claims. (Cl. 299-141) This invention relates to a shower headconstruction wherein the diffuser of said head is disposable.

One of the objects of the instant invention is to provide a shower headwhich is adapted to receive a diffuser of a very light, construction.

Another object of the invention herein disclosed is to provide a showerhead that may use a difiuser made of paper or other relativelynon-expensive construction material.

A further object of this invention is to provide a diffuser that may beeconomically disposed of when the operation of the diifuser becomesunsatisfactory.

A problem which often occurs in shower heads is clogging of one or moreof the holes in the diffuser and thereby the spray from the shower headis unsatisfactory. In order to correct the clogged condition of theshower head a plumber must be called to replace or clean the entireshower head. In commercial establishments such as hotels and motels, itis very annoying to a weary traveler to find a shower head that is notworking properly and then wait for the management to correct thesituation. The purpose of the instant invention is to provide a showerhead wherein the diffuser may be readily removed and discarded and a newdiffuser inserted without the aid of a plumber so that a guest may do ithimself. A supply of diffusers having various sized holes may beprovided in a hotel room sothat a guest may insert a diffuser with holesof a desired size to achieve the type spray he prefers. The guest maythereby correct any difficulties that he may have with a minimum ofeffort and delay and good will toward the proprietor is created thereby.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished andthe method of their accomplishment will readily be understood fromthefollowing specification upon reference to the accompanying drawingsin which: a

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shower head attached to a pipe and aportion of the shower head is cut away to show the inner construction;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale of the lowerportion of the shower head shownin Figure 1; r

. Figure 3 is a bottomview of the shower head shown in Figures. 1 and 2;

wall are positioned between the groove 18 and 'theend of said wall whichis reduced and provides anend shoulder that borders and defines anoutlet for the passage,11. At the diffuser end 20 of wall 16. is anannular endv face having an. annular sealing groove 22 and that portionof wall 16 immediately adjacent the sealing groove 22 is partiallychamfered to define, four buttresses 23 which are equidistantly disposedabout the, outer peripheryof the wall as shown in Figure 4. i

A- one piece diffuser retainer ring, generally indicated by numeral 24,comprises a cylindricalattachment wall2 which has threads 26 on itsinnerperiphery which mate with threads 19 on bell14. The, retainer 24has a spray aperture 27 in the central portion thereof defined by asealing flange or'internal shoulder 28 which is integral with the wall25. Ditfuser support ribs 29 integral with sealing flange 28 extend,across spray aperture 2 7 and provide an upstream abutment surfacecoplanar withjthe end face of flange 28. The outer periphery of wall 25isknurled as generally indicated by numeral 31 in Figure 1 to provide afriction surface so thatrthe retainer may be manually removed.

A. one-piece ditfuser indicated by numeral 32 in Figure 1 issubstantially circular and relatively thin. Diffuser 32 includes anouter marginal lip portion having an annular ridge 33 which mates withgroove 22 in bell 14. The central portion of diffuser 32 is providedwith a plurality of holes or apertures 34. The holes 34 may be of adiiferent diameter for each diffuser to provide a selection of sprays.

The diffuser 32 may be madeof any type of inexpensive water-proofmaterial such as a plastic material like Bakelite or polystyrene, or thediffuser maybe made of a treated water-proof paper. 7

The top surface of the difiuser lip may be coated with an adhesivematerial near its outer periphery so that when the diffuser is placed inengagement with bell 14 and Figure 4 is a cross, sectional view taken online 4.-4

The shower head 11 consists of a bell 14 which is secured to ball 13 bynut 15 to allow the shower head'to be adjustably disposed.

The hollow, one-piece bell 14 has an integral cylin- 18 is formed inwall 16 and threads 19 formed in the retainer 24 is tightened to holdthe diffuser, a water-tight seal is made. The adhesive material ispreferably a rubber base adhesive which does not set to a hard substanceso that the diffuser and adhesive may be readily removed.

The shower head is assembled-by'attaching'the bell,14 to the pipe 12through ball 13 and nut 15. 'Thej diifuser eiement32 is then placed onbell 14 so that ridge 3 3 mates with notch 22 and the adhesive materialretains the-diffuser in position.

The retainer 24 is then placed 'on'bell 14. The retainer is threadedinto position so. that wall 25 registers with groove 18. The retainer is.tighte ne that the retaining flange 28 presses on the diffuser to forma fluid-tight seal between the diflfuser and the bell.

It should be noted that should a leak occur-between the diffuser 32 andbell 14, the water has two avenues of escape, one through the sprayaperture 27, and ,the

other is past threads 26 and 19. However, there would be no undesirablespray in the second case beeause the water would necessarily passthrough annular groovelfi and then fall down with the water that iscoming through the spray aperture 27.- Y

When the water is turned on so that it flows into eharnn ber 17 thenthrough aperture 21'and through holes 35, the weight and pressure of thewater exerts a considerable force on the diffuser 32. The diffusersu'pports'29 sup,- port the difi'user'SZ so that the force of the waterwill not break'the diffuser. This is especially'important when thediffuser 32 is made of a water-proof paper. The supports 29 allow a thinplastic diffuser to be used and thus the amount of plastic material maybe reduced in the manufacture of plastic diifusers. When the diifuserbecomes clogged or a diffuser'wit a different hole size is desired, theretaining ring 24Jis simply removed from the 'bell 14. The diffuser isremoved from hell 14 by grasping the difiuserat one of the chamferedportions between buttresses 23 and pulling the diffuser away from thebell and a new diffuser is replaced in the manner described above.

As may be seen in Figure 5, the diffuser 32 is readily adaptable to ashower head having a porthole type retainer. A shower head generallyindicated by numeral 51 is attached to a ball 52 by nut 53 so that theshower head may be easily adjusted.

' Shower head 51 has a bell 54 with a side attachment wall 50. Integralwith the side wall 50 is a stud pivot ear 55 on one side of said Walland a retainer pivot ear 56 diametrically opposite the stud pivot ear.The bell 54 has a cavity 57 through which water may flow to diffuseraperture 58 which is defined by chamfered end wall or shoulder 59 on theextreme portion of side wall '50. The end face of wall 59 is providedwith an annular groove 61 adjacent the diffuser aperture 58. Pivotallymounted on bell 54 is a diffuser retainer 62 which has a pair of pivotears 63 attached to one side of said retainer. The pivot ears are spacedto receive the retainer pivot ear 56 therebetween and the aforementionedears have holes, not shown, which register so that a retainer bolt 60may pass therethrough and thus provide an axle about which the retainermay pivot. Diametrically opposite the pivot ears 63 is a pair of nutengaging lugs 64 whose operation is described below. The retainer 62contains a support wall 65 which defines a spray aperture 66. Saidretainer 62 also has on its outer periphery a chamfered attachment wall67.

Pivotally attached to ear 55 is a stud 68 consisting of a U-shapedsupport 69 and a threaded portion 71. The legs of the support 69 containholes which register with a hole meal: 55 and a stud bolt 72 passesthrough said holes to provide an axle about which the stud may pivot. Awing nut 73 threadably engages the portion 71 of the stud and the lugs64 on the retainer.

The diffuser 32 is placed in the shower head by positioning ridge 33 onthe diffuser into groove 61. As was previously described, an adhesiveholds the diffuser to the bell. The retainer is then brought up intoengagement with the diffuser. The support wall 65 engages the diffuserand holds it in tight engagement between wall 65 and wall 59 of thebell. The stud 68 is swung into position between lugs 64 and wing nut isthen tightened against lugs 64 to bring the retainer into snugengagement with the diffuser;

It should be noted that as the wing nut is tightened, the support wallis forced upward and thus forms a tight seal between the diffuser andwall 59. It also should be noted that the chamfered wall 67 does notcome in contact with the bell. Thus it is only the support wall 65 whichoffers the resistance and thus a tight seal may be formed.

When it is desired to remove the diffuser 32, the wing nut 73 isloosened and the stud 68 is pivoted so that the retainer may pivot aboutbolt 60, thus the diffuser 32 is exposed. Since the wall 59 ischamfered, the edges of the difiuser 32 may be easily grasped and thusthe diffuser is readily pulled away from the bell. A new diffuser maythen be replaced in the manner described above.

It is thus apparent that a hotel or motel having the above describedshower heads in its guest rooms would provide a supply of diffusers toeach guest room. The supply would consist of a selection of stacks ofdiffusers and each stack would have apertures of a different size toprovide a variety of sprays. The supply of diffusers could be kept in amedicine cabinet or another convenient place. Thus a guest need onlyselect a diffuser from a stack and insert it into the shower head asdescribed above to have a uniform shower spray with his desired spraywhether it be fine or full.

While I have shown and described particular embodiments of my invention,it will occur to those skilled in the art that variations, changes andmodifications may be made without departing from my invention and Itherefore aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes andmodifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim: v

1. A renewable shower head construction comprising a hollow, one-pieceshower bell having a cylindrical attachment wall defining a flow passageand terminating in an end shoulder that surrounds and defines an outletfor said passage, said shoulder providing a planar annular end facehaving an annular groove therein surrounding said outlet, a generallyplanar one-piece disposable diffuser member of lightweight, waterproofsheet material having a perforated central portion spanning said outletand surrounded by an imperforate sealing lip having an annularupstanding ridge for mating in said groove to register and seal saiddiffuser member against said end face, said lip having an outer edgeportion projecting beyond said end face to facilitate manual engagementwith said diffuser member for removing the same, and a one-pieceretainer ring comprising a cylindrical attachment wall having aninternal shoulder surrounding and defining a spray outlet for registerwith said flow passage outlet, said last-mentioned shoulder providing aplanar end face surrounding said spray outlet and integrally carryinginternal support ribs spanning said spray outlet to present abutmentfaces coplanar with said last-mentioned end face for reinforcing andpreventing streamwise displacement of said central portion by pressureof liquid flowing therethrough, said attachment walls carryinginterengaging, manually releasable fastening means for mounting saidretainer ring on said bell, with said end faces in parallel grippingrelation against opposite sides of said lip.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said fastening means compriseinterengaging, pivot ears carried on said attachment walls at one sidethereof, and manually releasable interengageable nut and bolt memberscarried on said walls on a side thereof opposite from saidfirstmentioned side.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said fastening means compriseinterengaging threaded surfaces formed integrally on said attachmentwalls with the threaded surface on the attachment wall of said bellbeing external and the threaded surface on the attachment wall of saidretainer ring being internal and wherein the attachment wall of saidbell is formed with an annular groove opening externally thereof and ina direction towards said retainer ring and the attachment wall of saidretainer ring projects into said last-mentioned groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS444,940 Oehlmann Jan. 20, 1891 1,112,927 Newton Oct. 6, 1914 1,593,442Criggal July 20, 1926 2,196,783 Shoolc Apr. 9, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS27,409 Netherlands Mar. 16, 1933 1,029,598 France Mar. 11, 1953

